Allergy to rubber chemicals

Rubber chemicals are added to natural rubber during the production of rubber products. Allergy to rubber chemicals most often occurs only after prolonged use of rubber gloves or rubber shoes.

What are rubber chemicals?

Rubber chemicals are also called thiurams, carbamates and mercapto. They are added during the production of rubber to increase elasticity and durability. Rubber chemicals are in all rubber products and to a lesser extent in some synthetic rubber materials, but not in vinyl, polythene or nylon.

The rubber chemicals, in the form of molecules, are absorbed by the skin and lead to contact allergy. The most usual cause of allergy to rubber chemicals is frequent and prolonged use of protective rubber gloves or rubber footwear.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom is eczema, which often first occurs after the skin has been in contact with the allergen for several days or more. The skin is itchy, red and flaky with spots or bumps and blisters. The eczema appears initially on the area of skin that has been in contact with the rubber, i.e., on the hands in the case of rubber gloves and on the feet in the case of rubber footwear. Later, the eczema may spread to other areas of the body.

How frequent is it?

Thiurams is the group of rubber chemicals that most often causes allergy. Approximately 2% of eczema patients in Denmark who have been patch-tested have thiuram allergy.

How is it diagnosed?

Allergy to rubber chemicals is diagnosed using a patch test, also called a plaster test. An adhesive strip with small foil pockets containing the chemicals to be tested is attached to the patient’s back where it remains for 48 hours. When the adhesive strip is removed any eczema reaction where the chemical has been in contact with the skin will show that the patient is allergic to that particular chemical. A skin-prick test is also done to test for latex allergy (latex is the protein in natural rubber).

Find out more about latex allergy